Okay, before you read this, it is a sequel to Chapter 10 in the series "Mothers of the Caribbean" by A Magnificent Garden Party, a collaboration among the writers on the Broken Compass forum to see that the unmentioned mothers of the PotC characters we love get the credit they deserve. Please read that first- it will make the next parts so much more meainingful. You can find it in my Favorite Stories section if you don't want to search. My chapter, "Without Fear," is about Mistress Ching's mother.
Mistress Ching was based on a real historical figure, Ching Shih, the woman who led one of the largest and most powerful- not to mention ruthless and bloodthirsty- pirate fleets in history. Mistress Ching's younger life is shrouded in uncertainty. Her original name is not even recorded; she's known in historical texts as Ching Shih, or "widow of Ching." All that is really known about her youth is that she was a prostitute on one of the floating brothels of Canton before her marriage to the pirate captain Ching Yi. Upon his death, she took control of the pirate coalition her husband had created and held them together for five years through extensive political manipulation and negotiation. During this time, she led them to victory in numerous battles against not only trading ships but the Chinese government itself before finally accepting a formal pardon and retiring.
Now go read Chapter 10 of MotC before you read the next chapter! I promise you won't regret it.